Black-powder shooting using the once popular muzzle-loading caplock rifle had almost completely died out in the period of 1940's and 1950's as the simple elegance and utility of this highly effective firearm was replaced by more modern weapons which were easier to load and permitted more rapid firing. Beginning in the late 1950's and throughout the 1960's, however, there began to develop a new interest in the sheer sport of hunting as opposed to the desire simply to bag large quantities of game. Hunting with the bow and arrow rose in popularity because it presented a greater challenge to the hunter. At the same time, there was a renewed interest in the older and simpler firearms as opposed to the modern weapons which had become so overwhelming against small game that there was little sport left in hunting.
The renewed interest in black-powder shooting which was a part of this trend produced a particularly strong revival of the old muzzle-loading caplock rifle to the point that during the past five or six years both the firearm and replacement parts have become readily available. High-quality versions of this old firearm are being produced in elegant replicas of past designs.
Because the original models were designed and produced prior to the introduction of modern manufacturing methods and techniques, however, certain features of the old designs should preferably be improved in the interest of safety, reliability and a long operating life. The need for such improvement is particularly acute in connection with the hammer-lock mechanism.
The older locks utilized flat springs that are difficult to manufacture and which soon lose their original characteristics through fatigue or hard use. Adjustments of the mechanisms were difficult and usually required the filing or grinding away of metal to achieve the desired trigger sensitivity. Very often, the sensitivity of the lock was realized to the detriment of safety. Furthermore, the older designs are expensive to manufacture and there is a high potential for reducing cost through the development of new designs which better lend themselves to modern methods of manufacturing.